2 weeks Ago
During February's Charleston Boat Show, Powertime Charleston unveiled its second yacht to the fleet— which now includes a fully equipped Jeanneau Leader 9.0 WA Series 1 and a Beneteau Flyer 9. While these boats typically would cost around $200,000 to $300,000, club members can enjoy them for a monthly membership starting at $585, which is less than some marina slips in the Charleston Harbor.
With their innovative model, Powertime members avoid the headaches of traditional ownership and what founder of the Charleston branch Will Tome refers to as "boater’s guilt." “There's only so much time in the day just to go boating,” said Tome. “So when you do, we want to make it as easy as possible, and we want to make it make as much financial sense as possible.
” While it’s not the only boat ownership club in Charleston, PowerTime stands out by offering high-caliber luxury boats, specifically suited for overnight trips up the coastline. Tome grew up in Charlotte and frequently visited Charleston for vacations. When he moved to Charleston after college, he realized the potential of franchising PowerTime from a consumer's perspective.
He and his wife loved boating around the Lowcountry, especially taking overnight trips to Georgetown and other surrounding areas along the Intercoastal Waterway. “Boat ownership to do that can be very expensive. It's got to have cabin space.
Air conditioning, maybe a place to cook, and a bathroom. Things like that,” said Tome. Tome discovered PowerTime and reached out to see if they had any plans to open a branch in Charleston.
Although they didn’t have anything in the works, they offered him the opportunity to franchise. Coming from a small business family and always envisioning his future in entrepreneurship, Tome was ready for the challenge. At 32, he is currently the youngest PowerTime franchise owner in the country.
“I always wanted to do something that connected and gave back to the city,” said Tome, speaking of his fondness for the Charleston boating community and his gratitude for the opportunity. Though the Charleston branch is just over a year old, Tome is proud of the relationships they’ve built with members so far. Each boat in the fleet has a membership cap, meaning that instead of being a member of the club, the membership is attached to a specific boat.
This ensures that each boat is available for sufficient use throughout the month, while also maintaining comfort and safety for members operating the boats. The membership fee covers insurance, marina slip usage, cleaning fees and maintenance. At the start of each membership, new members are taught how to operate the boats directly from local captains.
PowerTime also offers comprehensive curriculums on boat safety. “People get comfortable on their boat. They feel like they have a sense of ownership and a sense of pride in that boat,” said Tome.
“Therefore they are more confident when they go out on the water, and they take very good care of it.” PowerTime’s mission is to simplify the process of enjoying a luxury boat and get more people out on the water. To that end, Tome is excited to continue making boating more accessible and less burdensome.
“We want to remove that boat guilt from owners who have it, and who look at their boat sitting in their driveway unused,” said Tome. As the club continues to add to their fleet and recruit new members, Tome is grateful for the opportunity to forge lasting relationships with members, the Powertime team, and the larger Charleston boating community..
